Addiction Recovery Facility in Hawthorne

As a parent, watching your teen go through drug or alcohol addiction can be harrowing. The child you once knew is gone, replaced by someone who only cares about getting their next fix. In situations like these, it can seem like there’s no hope for recovery or lasting wellness. However, teens and adults can both get the help and treatment they need at Teen Challenge, a globally recognized addiction treatment program with 200 locations throughout the U.S.

Teen Challenge began in 1958, when founder David Wilkerson was moved to help violent teen gangs in New York. Over time, the organization evolved, spreading across the U.S. and adding men’s and women’s homes. Today, it’s an international program with 1,000 centers all over the globe that has treated and supported countless students.

A key component of the Teen Challenge program is the residential discipleship curriculum. In this process, students learn about the tenets of Christianity and are encouraged to model their behavior on that of Jesus Christ. Students will also foster personal relationships with Christ. Students will study the Bible, pray, and be supported and surrounded by the larger Christian community. As students go through recovery, their new faith will give them the hope they need to continue fighting.

Independent research seems to back Teen Challenge’s approach. In 2011, a survey by Wilder Research found that 62% of respondents from the Minnesota Teen Challenge program reported no relapses and no drug use in the past six months.

Teen Challenge offers three kinds of services: residential, non-residential, and prevention. Treatment is holistic, focused on the health and wellness of every part of every student, and founded upon the Christian faith. The residential program takes at least 12 months and is based on the belief that long-term recovery comes with long-term treatment.

Non-residential treatment was created for people who can’t commit that much time to treatment. Teen Challenge offers several different varieties of non-residential treatment across the nation, from programs inside prisons to local small group meetings. These meetings are a spiritual alternative to secular support groups.

Teen Challenge also supports students after they leave treatment, through re-entry programs that facilitate the transition between residential programs and independent living, college-credit classes focused on leadership, and ministry training institutes.

Finally, Teen Challenge drives Stay Sharp, a drug prevention strategy that’s presented to young students. Stay Sharp educates students about the negative consequences of addiction and helps to prevent drug abuse and addiction before it begins. The presentation can be delivered to schools, churches, community groups, and more.

Some Teen Challenge centers also offer support for families with programs designed for couples, pregnant women, single mothers, and families with small children.

If you’re looking for an addiction treatment center with a focus on spirituality or Christianity, please contact your local Teen Challenge. For generations, they’ve shepherded countless students to sobriety and recovery, and they can also help you or a loved one on your own sobriety journey.

Mental Health Series

Teen Challenge of Los Angeles-Hawthorne